Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Join the Army!

Yes, that’s right! I’m shouting out to all women to join the army – the Army of Women. Have you heard about this yet? It’s an incredible movement, a collaborative effort between Dr. Susan Love, Avon, and scientists to find the cause of breast cancer once and for all in order to bring about an end to this terrible disease that brings about the death of about 40,000 women every year. The Army of Women’s goal is to find one million volunteers, adult women of any age, ethnicity, and all walks of life, to participate in scientific research studies involving breast cancer. Here is some information about the Army directly from their website:

When you register with the Army of Women, you are indicating your interest in learning about active research studies in need of volunteers. You will then receive email updates from the Army of Women announcing new research studies looking for volunteers just like you. The email will detail the research project and who and what the researchers need. If you fit the criteria and you’d like to participate, all you need to do is reply to the email and let us know you’ve accepted our “Call to Action.” If you accept the Call to Action, you will be contacted by an Army of Women staff member, who will make sure you meet the study criteria and answer any questions you might have about study participation. You will never be pressured to take part in any study. The decision to take part is yours — and yours alone. If you meet the study criteria and are interested in taking part, the Army of Women staff member will let you know what you need to do next.

I registered with the Army of Women a few months ago. My reasons for doing so include the fact that my mother had breast cancer at the age of 40 (and luckily came through it just fine) and I have a keen desire to make some kind of impact in helping to fight this insidious disease.

So far, the Army of Women has called all of its volunteers, which as of today number over 270,000 women, to action for about five studies. I have not fit the parameters for any of the studies yet and therefore have not been able to participate in any kind of research but I hope to do so some day. I do find that I feel great knowing that I’ve put myself out there as a volunteer, and even if my services can’t be used right now, I’ve offered them up to the organization; in doing so, I’ve taken a crucially important first step in helping scientists fight the battle against breast cancer.

The Women

Susie is a happily married thriving stay-at-home mom of her 5 and 19-year old daughters, a tireless caretaker of her elderly mother and budding blogger and entrepreneur. You may know her from Susie's Homemade .

Brenda is a mostly stay-at-home mom to her preschool-age son. After twelve years as a high school German teacher, she is now is an adjunct instructor of German at the community college level and also teaches German to six to nine year olds at Houston's German Saturday School, where her son also attends a weekly Kindergarten. She and her husband reside in Tomball, Texas, northwest of Houston. Brenda spends her free time reading, exploring Houston, traveling, and engaging in all things German!

Kari is an instructional designer working on development of online courses for adult education. She and her husband, Ben, live in Chicago where she enjoys taking photos, volunteering, visiting the museums, and exploring the city.

Diane tires of the mundane easily. That's why she got a kickin' job as a journalist, but as a result, she doesn't have time for much else. Despite that, she managed to get married and have a beautiful 4-year-old daughter. She is also pregnant right now. So be nice.